Small But Mighty

By Leah Martin

In the heart of Seattle’s Central District, a revolution is unfolding - led by a non-profit organization named Resource Equity and a Black Legacy Homeowner named Myron Curry. Their story is one of resilience, innovation, and a deep commitment to preserving Black legacy in a neighborhood that has seen its cultural roots nearly erased.

In the 1970s, the Central District was home to a thriving African-American community, making up 80% of its population. This concentration was not by choice, but rather a result of redlining policies that relegated Black families to specific areas of Seattle, namely the Central District. Over time, this forced proximity fostered a rich, interconnected community. But by 2025, the African-American population in the Central District has dwindled down to just 8%. Those who remain speak of feeling invisible, of being “disappeared.” The 800 Black Legacy families that remain find themselves on the brink of displacement.

Myron Curry is one of those remaining. Myron and his grandfather, Mr. CJ Curry, have lived in their Central District home their entire lives. CJ and his late wife raised 13 children here, along with multiple grandchildren, including Myron. Their intergenerational household is a powerful symbol of continuity in the neighborhood. And when family members move into their planned construction project, their 94-year-old grandfather will have a multigenerational system of care.

The family’s story of potential displacement began with a reverse mortgage, a financial tool they turned to as their only option to access the equity tied up in their long-held home. While it offered short-term relief, the reverse mortgage became a trap. Over time the debt grew significantly, threatening their ability to stay in the home that held decades of family history. But that wasn’t the only threat. Like so many Black homeowners in Seattle, their legacy was also threatened by rising property taxes, zoning code changes, and compound interest.

Caleb Jackson, one of the co-founders of Resource Equity, who was raised in South Seattle, has his own story. His family lost some of their land to predatory displacement practices, an experience that left a lasting mark on him and his family. Determined to never let that happen again, Caleb and co-founder Cornelius Johnson, committed Resource Equity to preserving generational wealth for Black Legacy Homeowners through real estate.

Together, Resource Equity and Myron formed an alliance rooted in shared experience and mutual purpose. With construction about to begin, this project is the actualization of a movement.

Unlike most nonprofits that acquire property under the guise of “helping” families, Resource Equity is designed to keep homes in families’ hands. Their model meets families where they are, asks them how they envision their future, so they can build pathways to retain ownership while stabilizing finances.

“They’re the only organization of their kind,” Myron explains. “Without Resource Equity, we wouldn’t have been able to remove the reverse mortgage and chart a path to stability.”

Resource Equity didn’t just provide financial creativity – they vetted and managed general contractors, architects, and engineers and offered technical guidance throughout the process.

On a recent sunny September afternoon, supporters, advocates, activists, friends and family gathered in the Curry’s back yard, to break ground. Construction will include two detached accessory dwelling units (DADU). When this project is complete in 2026, the Curry’s will own 3 homes, not one. It’s this powerful fact that puts the family in a new position, a position of choice for building their financial future.

It takes a big team to break ground, literally and figuratively. This project brought together a diverse group of partners: Resource Equity, Black 4 Enterprise, Byrd Barr Place, the City of Seattle, HomeSight, CASE 21 with Wa Na Wari, WA State Department of Commerce, the Black Home Initiative (BHI), Converge Media, Carissa Farkas Structural Engineering and Allied8.

At Allied8, we’ve been an ally to Black Legacy Homeowners since 2017 when we began to uncover, for ourselves, the erasure of the Black community in the Central District. We are grateful for the trust Resource Equity and Myron Curry have put in us. We don’t take that honor lightly and we will continue to provide our technical assistance when it’s needed. At Allied8, we believe that architecture is just one small part of the puzzle but when paired with advocacy, it becomes a powerful tool for justice.

Myron is a renowned muralist in the community and Seattle at large. For Myron, his art isn’t just expression – it fuels his anti-displacement resistance. His murals across Seattle, from Midtown Square to Shoreline to ACE Academy, tell stories of resilience, solidarity, and cultural pride. His art sales and gallery exhibitions like the one at the Northwest African American Museum, helped fund the early stages of the construction project. Live painting and community murals built visibility and buy-in. In this way, art and housing became intertwined - one supporting the other.

“Murals are a unifying staple,” Myron reflects. “They connect people to place. Just like this home, they root us.”

As Seattle grapples with housing inequities, this project offers a roadmap. It demonstrates an anti-displacement solution.

Standing with his grandfather at the groundbreaking, Myron summed it up best:
“Generational wealth is built through ownership. Our fight is to make sure we don’t lose what was so hard-earned. If we can do it here, others can too.”